C25K, Myofacial Pain and Anna

I was doing pretty well in my C25K journey up until week 4.  At week 4 things started getting hard.  It seemed like my legs were weaker every day instead of stronger.  This flies in the face of everything I've ever learned about training.  I became discouraged.  And probably a little depressed.

Then I went into week 5.  At this point my legs actually felt bruised.  It hurt to touch them.  That's when I knew it was probably more than just the working out.  You see a few years ago I was diagnosed with something called Myofacial Pain Disorder.  I don't talk about it alot and I'm hesitant to write about it here, but then again, why not?  For the most part I ignore that I have this.  I don't recommend this to anyone.  You should do what your doctor prescribes.  But for me, I just haven't been able to get there.  I haven't taken the medicines, but I do some holistic things and watch what I eat...and drink (boo).  The main thing seems to be getting the right amount of sleep.   Not sleeping makes me feel awful.  And yet I will always try to stay up later and later.

So today after having taken a week off from C25K, I decided to give it another go.  My daughter was sitting on the couch playing on her iPod touch when I remembered a blog post from my friend, Mike, about running with his daughter who is a little bit younger than mine.  He wrote enchantingly of how he didn't really want her to accompany him on the run but then once he said yes, she was a joy.  She out ran him the whole way, even finding the energy to add in twirls and pirouettes.   Even though my gut told me my daughter, who is much more like her Nana than me, wouldn't enjoy the run I decided to ask if she would like to go.  I was genuinely surprised when she said emphatically that she did want to.  Then she appeared downstairs looking for all the world like the 7 year old version of the iPod silouhette campaign.  Pink tank top, jeans with bedazzled lightening bolts on the pockets, Twinkle Toes sneakers and headphones perfectly in place. 

Again I thought...this isn't going to work, but off we went.  My first mistake?  I neglected to check that she was on the same workout week as me.  She wasn't.  Second mistake?  Forgot to make sure her music was low enough that she could hear me telling her to get to the side of the road.  The second mistake I quickly fixed easily enough. 

Meanwhile the application intones for me to run.  I took off.  I felt good.  I easily ran the first set.  It was great.   Then I realized my kid was no where to be seen.  So I stopped.  Finally I saw a tiny little pink figure heading my way, "MOMMY!! WAIT UP!!!"  She finally reached me and we walked together for the next little bit.  Luckily I was on a long walk portion of the workout.  "MOMMY STOP!  MY SHOE'S UNTIED."  We then walked on.  "MOMMY IT'S HOT!  LET'S GO BACK."  "Come on Anna, you can make it.  It's time to run again.  You get on the inside we'll do it together."

We ran for exactly one minute.  "MOMMY THIS IS HARD.  MY LEGS ARE FALLING OFF.  I'M GOING TO VOMIT."  So we stop and I check her heart rate.  I am after all the daughter of a CRNA.  It was fine.  My heart rate was more elevated. 

So I finally gave in, and we walked back, hand in hand, arms swinging.  "WHAT SONG ARE YOU LISTENING TO MOMMY?"  "Rabbit."  "WHO IS THAT?"  "A really cool band you should know about.  I'll put it on your playlist."  "THANKS!"

Even though, I didn't finish my workout (which, man, I totally could have today),  and Anna declared she's never running again, I cannot in the end say that the work out was a total disaster.  Actually it was kind of good.

Family Day

Today was a rare Saturday for me.  I spent it with both my daughter AND my husband.  Normally that does not happen, but all the stars lined up and today we were to have a family day.  It was going to be perfect.  Just like a Publix commercial.  Or one of those RomCom scenes set to that Sixpence None the Richer song...except of course not romanctic.  That would be weird. 

It started off well enough...we all were crowded on the couch watching Eric Ripert's Avec Eric.  Good show, if you haven't seen it.  Anyway I digress, around this point my daughter started lamenting about having a playdate.  I said, "We're going to have family day."  And she responded, "I hate family day.  I want to play with a kid."  Alrighty then.

And we were off venturing out to the home show at our local Civic Center.  Honestly there is one thing I know, there is NOTHING a kid loves more than going to a home improvement tradeshow.  Playdates?  What are playdates when there are flooring samples to look at?  She was a good sport and feigned an interest in a berber carpet sample for a bit, but soon, even the free candy set out at each booth wasn't cutting it.  All was not lost however, as the organizers of the event had the forethought to have Coo Coo the Clown there.  Coo Coo looks like your average clown which until today I had no problem with.  But as my daughter drug me closer and closer to Coo Coo, my heart began beating faster and faster.  Suddenly big boldly colored shoes and orange wigs seemed as dangerous as hunting knives.    I kept seeing Tim Curry in Stephen King's IT.  Finally I signaled my husband to come and relieve me.  When I told him the problem, he laughed and walked away.  I started yoga breathing.  Finally we got our balloon Princess wand and made our escape.  Shortly after that, loaded down with business cards we'll never use, we left the show altogether. 

This is when the trouble really started.  At this point, I decided it would be a good idea to have my two beloveds accompany me on a drive around town looking at houses.  I love doing this and therefore they will love it too right?  Ha!  Soon both of them are lamenting about home, playdates, and naps.  Guess who wanted what? 

It didn't get much better from there.  We then headed to the Earth Fare.  It's our new organic grocery store and I'm smitten.  Smitten means that much like the liesurely drive around town looking at houses, I'm now liesurely and lovingly contemplating every item in the store.  My husband is about to lose his mind.  "Superbowl!  We just need something for Superbowl!!  Pick something!!  Turkey Burgers!!!"  And me, "oh but that pepper crusted trout looks nice and oh look at all those different kinds of salsas..." The highlight of this fiasco had to be a fight between my husband and myself in front 16 year old check out kid  about who was picking up the check.  And while I can't be 100% certain,  I'm pretty sure the look on that kids face was the same look I had for Coo Coo. 

New Year, New Me?

So, I've jumped on the band wagon.  Which one is that you ask?  Oh you know the one where the month of January is spent dieting and attempting to exercise.  Some genius at work decided our office should do a Biggest Loser contest (note there is no actual affiliation with the TV show Biggest Loser. :)  )  I stand zero chance of winning this thing, but it seemed like a great opportunity to get motivated.  You see, I haven't actually exercised in 7 years.  7 years ago I had a baby and while she is the apple of my eye, she's put a dent in my workout schedule.  My husband is what you might loosely call a rock star who also has a day job.  I also have a full time job. We're busy.   It's a pretty common theme I think.

So anyway last Saturday I had the opportunity to walk out my front door with the intent to exercise.  I was completely tricked out for this event.  I had my iPhone on my handy new arm band.  The C25K application cued up.  Earbuds in place.   Rabbit on my playlist. I was ready.  Of course I had long ago thrown out anything resembling workout gear.  It all pretty much dated from the 80's so really, it needed to go, but I was dressed for my workout in jeans and a pretty nice Seminoles shirt I happened to have.  To sum up, I looked like an idiot.  I briefly considered aborting the whole mission, but instead I just kept walking.  It's the one boon of hitting 40 that I've found.  Genuine lack of caring about looking like a total idiot. 

The C25K app starts off with a "brisk 5 minute walk".  I can't say I was brisk but I was walking and it was ok.  But soon a voice intoned, "RUN".  Since the voice was a little scary, I did what he said.  My legs literally felt like I was pulling them through sludge.  I almost cried and this was only the first of 8 or so  :60 runs with :90 of walking in between.   The entire workout lasts 30 minutes.  I didn't think it was going to be possible for me to make it.  However somehow I did.  I'm not saying I ran a full :60 each time, but I kept going at least.  And since then I've managed to do it three more times.  Each time has been a little better, but still it's pure pain.

And the moral of this story is?  If you are currently working out, never stop...

The First Post

I've joined the new millenium about a decade late.  I know nothing about writing a blog, so bear with me.  It does turn out that I'm pretty good at reading blogs.  We'll see how that translates.  Probably you'll find alot of Pioneer Woman knock off posts.  Be forewarned.

Why Thymes and Tribulations?  Thymes because I do alot of cooking and actually do use Thyme quite a lot.  And of course, it's a bit of a double entendre.  Tribulations reflects the results of most of my cooking forays.  However I don't imagine I'll always write about cooking as holding down a full time job, I can't cook everyday.  So hopefully anyone reading this will bear with me as this whole venture is definitely unsculpted clay.  I initially wanted to call the blog, Cooking and Other Disasters but when push came to shove,  it seemed too negative even for me.  So Thymes and Tribulations it is...for now.

Above all please bear with me on design.  I really hate what I've selected so I'll be changing it as soon as I figure out how.  :)